Internal medicine - The Essential Facts
Nicholas J Talley, Brad Frankum, and David Corrow
2nd ed Oxford: Blackwell Science; £15.95 (paperback)
ISBN 0632056134
The preface to
Internal Medicine states that it is intended as a
revision guide and aide mémoire, to sit in the pockets of final year
medical students and doctors. That might be an ambitious target;
aren't the pockets of most white coats already rather
full?
Used alongside quick reference medical handbooks, this book will be
useful, but it will probably not be a replacement for popular clinical
handbooks. A strong resemblance to thorough, well-presented, and
concise lecture notes marks it out as belonging more on the "revision
aids" shelf, than the "quick reference" shelf. The index, which
for a quick reference guide is usually a key section, is not as
comprehensive as it might be. However, considering the straightforward
layout of the book, navigating the pages should not be a problem.
Each chapter, including "Epidemiology, Statistics and Evaluation of
Literature," is a comprehensive review of a topic or specialty. Most
chapters (for example, "Cardiology") begin with a section entitled
"Important Clinical Clues," then "Disease States," and finish
with "Pharmacology/Therapy." This highlights one key aspect of the
book; that it starts with symptoms and signs, then suggests possible
indications, before moving on to discuss known diagnoses, in an effort
to resemble "real life" sequences of thinking.
Nearly all the text is in the form of bullet pointed lists or tables; a
very clear type of presentation. This could be considered an ideal
format, or rather an unpalatable one, depending on your taste.
Being aimed at doctors and final year students, Internal
Medicine does assume a degree of knowledge. Explanations are
clear, but this book is not full of basic definitions; for example, it
informs the reader that an anacrotic pulse is associated with aortic
stenosis, but it does not explain the characteristics of such a pulse,
should anyone be ignorant of that particular sign.
If used as the authors suggest, the book's concise approach could
attract followers. Its collection of uncomplicated summaries and key
points make it effective for revision, or for introducing the reader to
unfamiliar subjects. It is an ideal book if you have five minutes
available here and there, in which to learn a little more about a
chosen subject.
{rvau} ,
Andrew Coulton, second year medical student, Imperial College School of Medicine, London
studentBMJ 2000;08:175-216 June ISSN 0966-6494
